Read Online Revolution 19 by Gregg Rosenblum - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Gregg Rosenblum
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filthy baseball hat; he had refused to let it out of his sight. Nick wore khaki pants, too loose in the waist but held up with a belt, and a heavy brown button-down flannel shirt. He felt like a fool, but at least he was clean.
They sat in the living room, waiting. “Those soldier robots,” said Cass.
“You mean the Peteys?” asked Lexi.
“Yes. Why are they called Peteys?”
“It came from P.D., which means Police Department, which used to be real people enforcing laws, pre-G.I.,” said Lexi.
“G.I.?”
“Really?” asked Lexi. “You’ve never heard of the Great Intervention?” She paused, then continued when she saw the blank look on their faces. “You know, the Robot Revolution.” She spoke in a sarcastic monotone, as if reciting: “The Great Intervention. When the robots realized that in order to help mankind realize Peace and Prosperity, they would have to Protect us from ourselves. And voilà”—she gestured around the room and out the window—“Peace. Prosperity. Protection. The City.”
“Peace?” Nick closed his eyes, seeing the smoke and fire, hearing the screams, their fellow Freeposters, friends and neighbors, lying in blood on the ground. “Those Peteys burned down our home and killed our friends,” he said, opening his eyes and looking at Lexi. “How is that peace?”
“You’re right, it’s not,” said Lexi. “But living out in the woods, fighting the wild animals and other survivors.... It seems pretty wild.”
“I don’t know where you get this stuff …” began Cass, and then the front door opened and they all jumped up. Nick looked over at Lexi. For a moment, she seemed as nervous as everyone else, but then she smiled and regained her confidence. Lexi’s parents walked into the room. Her father was Nick’s height, with thick brown hair that added a few inches, and had a bit of a paunch, which explained the loose pants that Nick wore. Her mother looked much like Lexi, with the same jet black hair, same nose, and same eyes, her mother’s behind a pair of red-framed glasses.
“I didn’t know we had company,” said Lexi’s mother. “Who are your friends?”
“Well—” began Lexi.
“And why,” her father cut her off, “is your friend wearing my shirt? And are those my pants?”
“And are those your sweatpants?” asked Lexi’s mother incredulously.
“It’s not her underwear, though,” said Kevin. “It’s, uh, it’s yours, sir.”
Nick shoved Kevin on the shoulder. “Idiot,” he said.
Kevin shrugged. “I thought he should know.”
“Lexi,” said her father, “what the hell is going on?”
Lexi took out her comm, pulled up the picture of Nick, and showed it to her parents. “I found them at the diner. I’m sure they would have been detained soon if I hadn’t helped.” She paused. “Nick, Cass, and Kevin. They’re freemen. They’re from the woods.”
Her parents said nothing. Nick felt trapped, painfully aware that Lexi’s parents stood between him and the door. He had decided to trust Lexi, had brought his brother and sister into this house, and now these people were standing there, blocking the exit, deciding whether to help them or hand them over to the bots. Nick rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. If they pulled out those comm devices, he’d get Cass and Kevin out that front door, no matter what he had to do.
“It’s what you always talk about,” said Lexi. “Resisting the robots, regaining our humanity.”
“Quiet, Lexi!” said her mother urgently.
“Freemen, Mom! These are three real-life, unchipped, robot-killing freemen standing here, and they need our help! For once you can finally do something other than just complain!”
“That’s enough, Lexi!” said her father. He walked up to the kids. “May I … may I feel your necks?” Nick nodded. Lexi’s father felt Nick’s neck first, then Cass’s, then Kevin’s. He walked back to his wife and took her hand. A moment of unspoken communication
They sat in the living room, waiting. “Those soldier robots,” said Cass.
“You mean the Peteys?” asked Lexi.
“Yes. Why are they called Peteys?”
“It came from P.D., which means Police Department, which used to be real people enforcing laws, pre-G.I.,” said Lexi.
“G.I.?”
“Really?” asked Lexi. “You’ve never heard of the Great Intervention?” She paused, then continued when she saw the blank look on their faces. “You know, the Robot Revolution.” She spoke in a sarcastic monotone, as if reciting: “The Great Intervention. When the robots realized that in order to help mankind realize Peace and Prosperity, they would have to Protect us from ourselves. And voilà”—she gestured around the room and out the window—“Peace. Prosperity. Protection. The City.”
“Peace?” Nick closed his eyes, seeing the smoke and fire, hearing the screams, their fellow Freeposters, friends and neighbors, lying in blood on the ground. “Those Peteys burned down our home and killed our friends,” he said, opening his eyes and looking at Lexi. “How is that peace?”
“You’re right, it’s not,” said Lexi. “But living out in the woods, fighting the wild animals and other survivors.... It seems pretty wild.”
“I don’t know where you get this stuff …” began Cass, and then the front door opened and they all jumped up. Nick looked over at Lexi. For a moment, she seemed as nervous as everyone else, but then she smiled and regained her confidence. Lexi’s parents walked into the room. Her father was Nick’s height, with thick brown hair that added a few inches, and had a bit of a paunch, which explained the loose pants that Nick wore. Her mother looked much like Lexi, with the same jet black hair, same nose, and same eyes, her mother’s behind a pair of red-framed glasses.
“I didn’t know we had company,” said Lexi’s mother. “Who are your friends?”
“Well—” began Lexi.
“And why,” her father cut her off, “is your friend wearing my shirt? And are those my pants?”
“And are those your sweatpants?” asked Lexi’s mother incredulously.
“It’s not her underwear, though,” said Kevin. “It’s, uh, it’s yours, sir.”
Nick shoved Kevin on the shoulder. “Idiot,” he said.
Kevin shrugged. “I thought he should know.”
“Lexi,” said her father, “what the hell is going on?”
Lexi took out her comm, pulled up the picture of Nick, and showed it to her parents. “I found them at the diner. I’m sure they would have been detained soon if I hadn’t helped.” She paused. “Nick, Cass, and Kevin. They’re freemen. They’re from the woods.”
Her parents said nothing. Nick felt trapped, painfully aware that Lexi’s parents stood between him and the door. He had decided to trust Lexi, had brought his brother and sister into this house, and now these people were standing there, blocking the exit, deciding whether to help them or hand them over to the bots. Nick rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet. If they pulled out those comm devices, he’d get Cass and Kevin out that front door, no matter what he had to do.
“It’s what you always talk about,” said Lexi. “Resisting the robots, regaining our humanity.”
“Quiet, Lexi!” said her mother urgently.
“Freemen, Mom! These are three real-life, unchipped, robot-killing freemen standing here, and they need our help! For once you can finally do something other than just complain!”
“That’s enough, Lexi!” said her father. He walked up to the kids. “May I … may I feel your necks?” Nick nodded. Lexi’s father felt Nick’s neck first, then Cass’s, then Kevin’s. He walked back to his wife and took her hand. A moment of unspoken communication